Critique and help - Pictures/Videos - theatroN

[987655mm]

This seems like a great thread for a newbie like me to improve!
So here is my attempt at creating a machinima:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reBgm0mY7H8#t=14

I kinda tried to make a machinima without any soundeffects, with only music. However, some friendly guys on the forums pointed out that the music doesn´t fit at all, do you have any suggestions of what I could replace it with? I want to show the rather decisive victory of Napoleon with these video.

[Edax]

Notes:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Good:
+ Excellent music choice. Such a powerful song.
+ You got some amazing shots in here especially at 0:25, 0:41, 1:24, 1:37. They really caught my eye.
+ Overall very nice pace and some great compositions.


Improvements:
- The video doesn't really seem to make much sense. There's a new location all the time, and it's a bit confusing.
- If you want to make a montage or alike, you need to set the same mood in the video. Like use the same color palette or time of day. Needs to be some consistency.
- The graphics could be higher. Jagged edges and alike ruin the illusion that it's a movie, and not a game.

Great vid man!

Hope my notes makes sense.

Thanks for the critique. Your probably right, editing this video in an out-of-order sequence was probably a mistake.
I tried very hard to maintain a color palette for a each battle, the Battle of Third Castle I had set in a dense fog, muted colors and bright clan colors, and the Battle of Hachiman Field were given lush, bright colors, but I can see that the out-of-order sequence and lack of establishing context can make it a confusing mess.

[Edax]

This seems like a great thread for a newbie like me to improve!
So here is my attempt at creating a machinima:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reBgm0mY7H8#t=14

I kinda tried to make a machinima without any soundeffects, with only music. However, some friendly guys on the forums pointed out that the music doesn´t fit at all, do you have any suggestions of what I could replace it with? I want to show the rather decisive victory of Napoleon with these video.

I'm sorry, I know this is theatroN's thread, but I feel compelled to offer some basic critiques as a fellow Napoleon Total War machinma maker. Think of this as a second opinion. [Also, sorry if I come across as mean, I'm not trying to be. Always remember that it's impossible to make the perfect video on the first try. It takes practice.]



Notes:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Pro:

• The music I think is okay. I've seen a montage video of the Napoleon mini series using that exact same music, and it seemed to fit the Napoleonic time period.

Neutral Tips:

• There are no establishing shots of the battles. This means the viewer will not know how the battle is playing out, and thus, not having any tension for the viewer the care about. However, it is perfectly acceptable to not use establishing shots in a montage like your video, if the outcome of the battles isn't really the point of the video. (Just a heads-up in case this wasn't your intent)

Cons/Tips:

• The start off, your video starts with almost no context. There's really no way to know if this is depicting a historical battle, or even from what period of the Napoleonic era, until the very end of the video. It's important to get the historical information across at the start of the video, to "set the stage". Otherwise, the video will only make sense only after multiple viewings.
• It would also appear that you have no yet unlocked the camera in the game. It is always an excellent idea to do so, as when the camera is at ground level, the action is more personal.
• You also appear to use the same camera angle, a medium frontal eye-level shot, back-to-back. This causes an unsettling claustrophobic feel because the viewer is given no visual information of the battleground. At most, you'd ever only want to reuse the same camera angle twice back-to-back twice (But never of the same thing. Do not repeat the exact angle on the same exact unit/object back-to-back). Using different camera angles keeps the video dynamic, and thus keeps the viewer interested. Mix it up with side views, low-angle and high angle shots, or some aerial pans or bird-eye views.
• Also, at 1:17, you have a combat scene that lasts a whopping 20 seconds long. A single sequence should never really go longer then 6 seconds unless the action on screen is continually changing (in order to prevent the viewer from becoming bored). Because your video is a audio-less montage, it's critical that the action maintain a semi-fast pace, because you are working without the use of soundeffects or dialogue to tell your story.
• At 1:39 you have calvary charging in super slow-motion, but the framerate is moving so slowly and it's uncomfortable for a viewer to watch. In order to maximize your framerate, run the battle in half-speed mode, this will often triple your framerate, and offer a smoother video experience. (The only side effecting being that you will not be able to record audio)
• Also, try and avoid Total War soldiers from phasing through the camera. It happens to the best of us, but it can really take viewers out of the action. The zoom function in-game ("n") is a handy tool to avoid this as the physical game camera will be behind the soldiers, and thus they can't phase through it.
• This is a historical nitpick, but the Carabiniers-a-Cheval did not have that uniform until 1812, essentially they wore that brass-plated armor during the era of Napoleon's downfall, yet your video it titled "Rise of Napoleon". This can bug some historical people. Also, the Grenadiers a Cheval were not formed until 1804, but the cut-scene you used at the very end, implies this was the Italian campaign of 1796. It's important to remember that this was the time of the French Republic, and as such, most of the "Imperial" units did not exist yet.

[987655mm]

Thank you a lot for these tips! I had been already been working an an intro, however I didn´t manage to put it in, because I was doubtful that it would fit. I have one question though, I tried doing some bird views, however, the units on the map cannot be recognized and thus it didn´t seem like a very useful technique to me. How would you go along doing this? And which scenes do you think need to be revisited (excluding the already mentioned ones) and do you think the video should be remade from scratch?

[Edax]

Thank you a lot for these tips! I had been already been working an an intro, however I didn´t manage to put it in, because I was doubtful that it would fit. I have one question though, I tried doing some bird views, however, the units on the map cannot be recognized and thus it didn´t seem like a very useful technique to me. How would you go along doing this? And which scenes do you think need to be revisited (excluding the already mentioned ones) and do you think the video should be remade from scratch?

It doesn't entirely matter if you can't tell which units are which in a bird's eye view so long as the configuration of both armies is shown. It can help if both armies occupy different parts of terrain (ex, one on a hill, the other with a river behind them). Or you can just keep the camera close enough, that at least one side's faction flags are visible, as the viewer can connect the dots on who the other faction is since their being shot at.
All in all, I'd say it's better to start from scratch. A new topic, new battle, on a new battlefield is just easier to film, and provides more opportunities for practice. Making more videos will help develop your own film-making style sooner.
If you really want to revisit it thought, I'd say most of the shooting and melee scenes need some change. Most of the scenes are redundant as they all use the exact same camera angle. I'd mix it up, add some ground views of the shooting, maybe some 12 feet high aerial pan shots, add some closeups or two on the infantry's faces, and sometimes point the camera diagonally at the infantry or calvary, until you have a healthy mix of angles and shots of the shooting and stabbing.

[987655mm]

Alright, reworked the mentioned parts. I really hope it´s gotten better, because doing this took really long. TheatroN, please critique the following video and not the video before this one (the old one I posted):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EodH...ature=youtu.be

Looking forward to the feedback and help!

[Syntax]

Hi there theatroN, it seems u are hidden somewhere?.....

Anyway if u have time - do not hurry....I have a question - usually the norm is u have pictures with one center or action to focus on - so u may adjust or edit accordingly,

but how to do best if u have a picture where u have several issues going on in one shot - how to approach such? -

is it best to filter out one of the issues and blend the others back? -

or how would you do the following picture - which I like a lot and I think I haven't done so bad, but I would really like another opinion on this?

Here we go: the edited version>


the unedited version>

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[IMG][/IMG]

Hear u
thanks in advance
Syntax

[theatroN]

The additional rain here for example:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Sorry for being absent, but I've been super busy the last few weeks.

I did a short tutorial to show how I go about creating rain.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[theatroN]

Notes:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Good:
- A lot of the detail. High graphics.
- Action packed scene.

Improvements:
- The composition doesn't work. I would have liked to have seen the riders face, since thats the primary focal point in the picture.
- Too emphasize the impact of the horse, you could have used a lower angle with the horse facing the camera, and the men falling in front of the camera.
- Your color correction doesn't fit the picture. Use warmer tones, not cooler since it's a desert scene. Cold = Blue/Cyan. Warm = Red/Yellow/Magenta.
- The noise/grain filter doens't play well. This picture has a lot of detail, and it works against that.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

My changes:
- Tried to improve the composition by tilting the picture with the angle of the spear and horse. Creates a more intense composition.
- Blurred the background to emphasize the horse rider, and front figures.
- Replaced the sky.
- Darkened the picture and added a lot of warm colours.
- Brightened the left side of the picture to match the light direction, and darkened the right side to create a contrast.
- Intensified the highlights on the front figures and horse rider.
- Added a soft glow.

[Syntax]

Thank u very much teathroN, your edit is a lot better, its real great what u did!!! - it will be in my sample book.....
I do appreciate all your comments as they make sense and also pick up my faults - so I may improve next time - maybe?!

Also honor to you for taking the time and show us your skills...like the rain tutorial.

Again - Thanks a lot, and have a good week mate.....

[That Foul Necromancer]

Back to the initial question of my post - the out of focus issue of the picture - which is a side effect of the "N" zoom function is that to avoid in any way? - or may a out of shape side of the picture - as you see the soldiers near to left and right side of the shot are extended in width by quite a bit, may this be altered afterwards in easy way?


In other words the 'N' zoom of the game has a bit of a frog setting and the more far some zoom out the more out of shape will be the left and right side of the picture....is there a way to modify this back to normal? (the stretching function of Photoshop doesn't really work for this....any suggestions? Look at the added picture - the "x" is to big and stretched the soldiers!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Thanks for your great work
Syntax

I don't work with the Cineeditor a but this "error" is a effect of vanishing point perspective, the technique proliferated in the renascence to give paintings a 3d look without this alignment and stretching your picture will look flat. Vp is super effective with buildings and still scenes but is a lot harder with people due to the differences in how our brains processes moving objects especially people (your brain corrects for things you are not actually seeing)
Hopefully you can manipulate the vanishing point in Cineeditor or your other tools.
I think you want to raise the vp slightly.
BTW the composition and especially the Grecian hoppalite's shoulder echoes Caravagio's betrayal of Christ. Great work if it was intentional!!